Tag Archives: cocaine

Appetite May Be Linked to Cocaine Addiction

This entry was posted in Addiction, cocaine, Drug abuse and tagged , , on by .

Scientists are constantly looking at and investigating different areas of the brain that the medical community knows little about. And in a new study, released by researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, shows an interesting area of the brain that may be responsible for cocaine addiction. They found that an area of the brain that is responsible for appetite and alertness, may also be the same mechanism that promotes the urge to use cocaine.

Each part of the brain is responsible for certain functions necessary for life. The hypocretin/orexin (HCRT) system of the brain exists to ensure that a person is driven to eat enough and also stay alert. This same part of the brain may also be compelling cocaine addicts to continue to seek out the dangerous drug.

This phenomenon was discovered after researchers observed rats that were given access to cocaine and how their brain, specifically the HCRT system, reacted. They found that rats who had allowed to self-administer cocaine for an hour (a relatively short amount of time) did not have this part of the brain taking over. However, rats that were allowed to self-administer cocaine for six hours (a relatively long period of time) did display an overreaction of the HCRT. They then administered blocking medication designed to target this part of the brain. The rats who were exposed to cocaine did not have any reaction to the medication, but the rats that been using cocaine for six hours had a positive reaction. These rats stopped compulsively seeking cocaine.

Researchers are hopeful that this study will pave the way for some sort of medication that would target the HCRT system of the brain in long term cocaine addicts and allow them to get some relief from the compulsive drug-seeking behavior that is usually present.

“The results of this study would suggest that the hypocretin system could be considered a pharmacological target, with the hopes that a medication designed to target hypocretin receptors could be used in combination with cognitive behavioral therapies as part of a cocaine abuse treatment strategy,” explained Dr. Schmeichel, lead author of the study.

Time to Erase the Racial Lines in Addiction

This entry was posted in Addiction and tagged , , , , , , on by .

There are plenty of instances in our country’s history of discrimination. Our approach to handling illicit drug problems is one of these instances. As the country continues its discussion on racial equality, it is important to include an issue that effects everyone – drug use.

A prime example of the different approaches to handling addiction is how the government reacted to the crack cocaine epidemic and how the government is reacting to the heroin epidemic now. Back in the eighties the crack cocaine epidemic took urban areas over. Law enforcement was overwhelmed with the amount of crime and drug trafficking that surrounded crack cocaine. It quickly became clear that crack cocaine was a problem mostly affecting black people. The federal government responded with the War on Drugs.

The War on Drugs was an initiative meant to scare people into abstaining from crack. Users found in possession of crack or in the process of purchasing crack were arrested and jailed. Sellers were also arrested. Thousands of people were deposited into prisons throughout the country because of crack cocaine. Yet, the cocaine problem persisted.

Fast forward to the current heroin and prescription painkiller problem, a seemingly white issue. The federal government just passed a law to increase treatment options for addicts and minimize punishment. A stark difference from the crack cocaine epidemic of the eighties. So stark in fact, that some people have pointed out the racial issues of such different approaches.

“One thing is sure: the responses are different. We need to acknowledge that and also acknowledge the resentment and the damage that still lingers from the crack wars,” commented David Holthaus.

While it is clear that the War on Drugs was a failure and the government certainly needed a different approach to deal with our current problems, a more important point to make is that addiction does not discriminate. People of all racial backgrounds can fall victim to a substance abuse issue. While heroin was once a problem of the inner city, it has migrated to small neighborhoods throughout the country. Crack had the same potential.

Drug Use Increases Chance of Suicide

This entry was posted in Drug abuse, Intervention and tagged , , , , on by .

In order to help prevent the sudden loss of life, researchers at Brown University conducted a study to better predict what causes people to attempt or commit suicide. They found that there is a direct correlation between drug use and suicide.

Researchers conducted the study by polling several hospitals between 2010 and 2012. After receiving data from 800 Emergency Room admissions, it was determined that while alcohol use and cocaine use alone did not substantially increase the risk for suicide, the combination of alcohol and cocaine greatly increased the chance of suicide. This important discovery will hopefully lead to more effective interventions to prevent future alcohol and cocaine induced suicide attempts.

So, why does the combination of alcohol and cocaine cause people to feel that suicide is an option? Researchers of the study point out that both drugs are responsible for extreme highs that lower a person’s ability to reason with current stressors, leading some to believe that suicide is the only way out. Additionally, alcohol is a depressant, while cocaine is a stimulant. When a person who has consumed alcohol becomes distraught over situations in their life and then they add cocaine into the mix they may feel more courage to go through with suicide. This risk is yet another reason why friends and family members need to consider moving forward with an intervention.

In addition to figuring out the link between dual use of cocaine and alcohol, researchers were also encouraged to find that screening in hospitals were able to lead to this conclusion. “Before the study, it was unclear if it was even feasible to get staff to complete suicide risk screening on all patients and, if you did, whether it would actually result in identifying people who were at risk,” explained Edwin Boudreaux.

Researchers are hopeful that further screening measures will be implemented in hospitals throughout the country, specifically in the Emergency Room. Oftentimes ER doctors are the first people to witness potential suicide indicators. Spotting a person who regularly abuses cocaine and alcohol may help guide medical professionals into taking action before suicide is attempted. Researchers also caution that other factors need to be considered as well, sex and race are other areas that need to be investigated in order to come up with a comprehensive suicide prevention and intervention plan.